Australian watchdog files suit against e-cigarette retailers

SYDNEY – Australia's consumer watchdog has launched a lawsuit in the Federal Court against two e-cigarette retailers, saying the companies misled consumers with claims that their products are not carcinogenic.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said in a statement that Australia's Social-Lites Pty Limited and Elusion New Zealand Limited, both online retailers, claimed on their websites that their e-cigarettes did not contain toxic chemicals found in conventional cigarettes.

Tests commissioned by the ACCC found the e-cigarettes did contain carcinogens and toxic, including formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and acrolein, the ACCC statement said.

E-cigarettes are metal tubes that heat liquids typically laced with nicotine and deliver vapor when inhaled.

Experts fiercely debate whether the devices can help people give up smoking and whether they are safe - with some studies raising concerns about the toxicity of some of the ingredients.